Panchayat members meet Kashmir governor for security

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Last Updated: Thu, Feb 28, 2013 18:30 hrs

Jammu, Feb 28 (IANS) A delegation of panchayat members in Jammu and Kashmir Thursday met Governor N.N.Vohra and apprised him about the problems being faced by them, especially security and empowerment.

A delegation of the All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC), an organization of panches (village council members) and sarpanches (village headmen), called on Vohra here submitted a memorandum of their demands.

Later talking to reporters, AJKPC chairman Shafiq Mir said that the delegation discussed the functioning of panchayats in the state with the governor and "complained about no effective measures so far having been taken by the government for their empowerment."

"The delegation also raised the issue of security of panchayat members with the governor and he expressed serious concern over this."

The governor assured the delegation that all the issues raised by them would be taken up with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Mir said.

Till now a total of 10 panchayat members including panches and sarpanches have been killed by militants in state since elections that concluded in June 2011. This and continuing threat of militants forced over 600 elected village panches and sarpanches to resign in the state till date in different phases. There are over 33,000 elected panches and sarpanches.